Better Data Feeds Productivity

John Dart The food and beverage industry is complex and rapidly evolving. Markets and tastes are changing. Consumers are more connected, informed and outspoken. And competition is everywhere — from store brands and online food providers to an ever-growing number of specialty product makers. In this new reality, food and beverage producers need operations — and a workforce — that can keep up. Fortunately, smart manufacturing can help them do just that. Smart manufacturing is connected, information-enabled manufacturing. It capitalizes on the latest technologies to re-define food and beverage operations. With the ever-growing number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, producers can now access data that has long been hidden within machines, processes and supply chains. For example, mobile devices allow users to access reports and dashboards to identify production issues and collaborate on solutions. And data analytics can help manage a company’s massive amount of data and contextualize it into actionable information. Furthermore, when deployed on a secure, EtherNet/IP, network infrastructure, previously disparate processes can be easily connected to truly enable smart manufacturing. With a single view of operations and seamless communications across people, data and assets, food and beverage producers can improve real-time collaboration, continuously optimize processes and be responsive to consumers’ needs. While virtually any aspect of a food and beverage manufacturing operation can be improved with smart manufacturing, focusing on areas that improve productivity and efficiencies are priority. In particular, smart manufacturing can help: Improve asset utilization Increase yield Drive workforce productivity Optimize resource management Mitigate security risks Improve Asset Utilization Food and beverage producers can use smart machines and devices with embedded intelligence to harness the power of their own data in new and better ways. Of course, data only offers value if it’s organized and contextualized. That’s why enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI) software […]